If we break up I'll just die ... and then come back: "Shaun of the Dead"

We all know dead men tell no tales. But apparently they can get up and walk around for a while. Not a bad trick, and really ... given zombies' limited vocabulary, who'd want to hear a story from them anyway?

I wouldn't call myself a fan of zombie movies, but I've seen and enjoyed my fair share, most notably both versions of "Dawn of the Dead." I also caught "28 Days Later" a couple of times but didn't think it was quite as remarkable as everyone else. What all this means is that when I heard about the world's first zombie romantic comedy -- "zom rom com" -- I knew there was potential for something fun, and I was only too happy to have Netflix send it my way.

So very British, "Shaun of the Dead" gives us a slacker electronics store employee who gets dumped by his girlfriend and then wakes up to find London overrun by zombies ... and not sure which is worse. But instead of the lightning quick savages and general dread of the "Dawn" remake and "28 Days," we have undead more faithful to George Romero's original vision: lumbering slowpokes going through the routines of their lives even though they're dead.

The main joke here, and it's not that subtle, is that Shaun, his best friend and others already are zombies of a sort, and the appearance of the real deal just provides occasion for Shaun and Co. to make their way to safety in the local pub (which they already visit day in and day out, like ... well, you know). It also provides for plenty of fun scenes with dry quips, humorous debates, a dash of pop culture -- i.e. deciding which albums to hurl at the undead (not "Purple Rain!") -- and references to other zombie movies. We get mention of a guy named Ash, for instance. Nice. Also, Shaun's pal Ed is pretty funny as the consumate slacker, although not so lazy he can't answer his mobile phone while pretending to be a zombie. After all, it could be someone with a little weed.

Since this is British, "Shaun" no doubt is an acquired taste for some. And yes, I realize I've been dogging the limeys and their films over the last couple of weeks. But I also love "The Office" and think the original "Coupling" isn't bad, either, and "Shaun" incorporates some of that wit while having the not-quite-alive stroll around the neighborhood. Maybe it's something about everyone being so put upon while not actually doing much of anything. Just get up, go to the store, go to work, go to the pub, day in, day out, kind of like ... well, you know.